


What Pride has Brought Her

by hannahbobana



Series: Wild Eyes, Burning Hearts [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Slytherin's can't be all bad, Strong Female Characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 20:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14196771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannahbobana/pseuds/hannahbobana
Summary: Daphne Greengrass may not be a saint, but she sure as hell isn't a Death Eater.





	What Pride has Brought Her

**Author's Note:**

> This work belongs in the same universe as For You, I Would Slay Dragons. I hope to continue it and look more at the relationship mentioned in that story and also explore Hogwarts during that 7th year. I just can't really believe that not one Slytherin students was against the actions of the Death Eater movement and the Voldemort regime at the school. Anyway, let me know what you think.

* * *

_Or perhaps in Slytherin,_  
_You'll make your real friends,_  
_Those cunning folk use any means,_  
_To achieve their ends._

* * *

 

Daphne Greengrass would never try to convince anyone that she's a saint. She's a Slytherin through and through, ambitious and cunning, and if it means she gets to keep her position in the Wizarding World hierarchy she'll laugh when her housemates ridicule some poor kid. She feels the guilt sitting in her stomach for days afterword, but six years in she's gotten adept at ignoring it. But it's now in her Seventh year of school that she regrets every laugh she ever gave, every slur she ever let slip through her lips, and is disappointed by the silver and green noose sitting around her neck. To the rest of the world, her family and all those like them, have won. Their Dark Lord is in power and she's afforded privileges under the new regime that set her apart, but the truth it, Daphne has never enjoyed this. When she was growing up, and listening to her parents go on and on about blood purity, she had sworn she would be different. But she wasn't. In the end, she'd disappointed herself.

The sick feeling in her stomach that she used to get when Pansy or Draco muttered insults to their classmates is a constant feeling with the Carrows and Snape in charge. She walks the halls, usually with Blaise or Theo by her side, and she's treated with glares and distrust by the rest of the school. Even the Hufflepuffs, some of whom she'd had somewhat friendly relationships with in the past, treat her like the scum on top of the lake. And truly, she can't bring herself to blame them.

Maybe that's what makes her do it. Maybe it's the looks, or the snide comments, or the disappointment in the eyes of professor's like Sprout or Flitwick, who despite knowing who her family is have never treated her any differently. But she hits a breaking point during the Dark Arts, yet another change that grated at her soul, where male Carrow is yet again making derogatory comment after derogatory comment about muggle's, muggle-borns, half-bloods and anything in between in an obvious effort to make someone snap. And from the corner of her eye she can see Longbottom and Finnegan, both Gryffindor's, getting angrier and angrier and their faces turning redder and redder. One of them is going to snap anytime and it's clear that Carrow doesn't care which one, he's just waiting for the chance to throw them in detention where some of the more blood-thirsty of her classmates have been practising their best curses. Crabbe and Goyle in particular had made their way to the top of the class for the first time in their lives. She takes a deep breath and steels herself, knowing that the next thing to come out her mouth is going to put a target on her back, it might even put a target on Astoria's, but she can't bring herself to care.

"I've heard that a lot of the errant wizards and witches are giving your people a lot of trouble."

The room goes silent at her voice, cold and aloof as it always is, as she has been taught to be. The Gryffindor's are staring at her wide-eyed and her fellow Slytherin's are glaring at her. She supposes that the benefit to every student having to take this class is that her punishment won't be witnessed by the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs too. Carrow stared at her through narrowed eyes and she'd seen enough student's in trouble to now that the whiteness of his pursed lips is not a good sign for her. Theo, probably her only genuine friend, is sitting next to her, his own mask perfectly in place as it always is but panic clear in his eyes. He's scared for her, and he probably should be. She shakes her hair and holds her head up high, refusing to let herself show any weakness. Whatever else they may be, a Greengrass is not weak.

"Miss Greengrass," her professor says dangerously, "you would do well to remember that my people are also your people."

She swallows and let out an undignified laugh. "I do believe that was something decided without my input."

They're locked in a battle of wills, her ice-blue eyes and his beetle gaze and she knows that to give in is to sign her own death warrant. Merlin, her father is going to have her head when he hears of this.

"Detention, Greengrass," Carrow says finally, "tonight, after dinner."

As he turns away she lets her shoulders slump ever so slightly, not enough that anyone who doesn't know her well notices, but Theo caught her her, concerned. Whispers erupted at the front of the room but they are quickly shut down. Finnegan is still watching her with furrowed brows and an obvious question on his lips. She avoids his gaze pointedly and focuses back on the book open on her desk.

* * *

She's jumpy for the rest of the day, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Detention would be bad enough but there was a little voice in the back of her head that told her that it wouldn't be all. Daphne knew that they didn't like spilling too much of the pure blood that ran in her veins but no one in her position had spoken out yet and it was likely she would be made an example of. Longbottom and his friends were a given and they knew they'd be barely controlled, but students like Daphne were supposed were known entities, or they were supposed to be.

Her fears aren't realised until dinner, at which time the entire school is seated in the Great Hall, and she herself has spent the day on edge for no reason. Until she looks up and sees that both Carrows are watching her with gleefully. She-Carrow glances to the Ravenclaw table and Daphne's stomach sinks. Astoria, her younger sister, only fourteen, and in the line of fire because Daphne could not keep her mouth shut. She found the younger Greengrass, her midnight black hair such a contrast to the platinum blonde mane on Daphne's own head, and was relieved to see that she looks unhurt. As though sensing someone was watching her, Astoria catches her eye and looks at her quizzically but waves anyway. Daphne waves back and smiles just slightly enough that Tori will know the difference. She'd always been the one more concerned with holding up the family name, until today anyway. She was aloof where Astoria was cheery, cold where Astoria was full of kind-hearted warmth, clinical and cunning in thought where her sister loved learning and knowledge for the sake of it rather than a means to an end. Astoria was the best of them.

A bell chimes from the head table, Snape's way of gaining their attention, he not having the commanding presence of the late Albus Dumbledore. Their Headmaster and her former Head of House is on his feet and watching over them all lazily.

"There's been a roster change," he drawls, before nodding to Dark Arts Carrow and sitting back in his seat.

"It was made clear," he started gleefully and full of spite, "that some of our younger students are not being given the same opportunities as the older ones. To fix it we're going to be starting a mentor program."

Daphne's stomach dropped.

"As of tonight, a few specially chosen," and at this he looked pointedly at Daphne who tensed, "and capable students will be paired up with someone experienced in the required responsibilities."

Daphne knew what he meant. Astoria was sure to be one of those specially chosen students and no doubt that meant she would be in charge of Daphne's detention that night. It was worse than Daphne going through the punishment herself. Astoria was a soft-touch, she avoided killing flies and other insects, instead spending an inordinate amount of time trying to catch them and put them out the nearest window. Sure enough, Carrow went on to identify the nominated students and Astoria Greengrass, Ravenclaw was the first one off of his bloodless lips. She watched her sister's face fall and her hands tremble, dropping her fork as her friends tried to comfort her. Daphne closed her eyes and cursed under her breath. Next to her, Theo put a hand on her thigh and squeezed. After that she couldn't bring herself to look back over at the Ravenclaw table so she kept her head down and played with the food on her plate, unable to take a bite.

When they had been released she made her way down into the dungeons with the rest of the Slytherins but was forced to take another path the further down they got. Theo looked at her meaningfully, Blaise shook his head as though in disappointment, and the girls in her dorm giggled behind their hands, led by Pansy. She did her best to ignore them.

"Greengrass, inside."

She was ushered inside by a sixth-year from her House who had joined the Quidditch team, Vaisey or something, she never really paid much attention. She could tell he was confused by her presence.

Entering into the dank dungeon she realised she wasn't alone in her punishment. Already lined up against the opposite wall was Seamus Finnegan and his fellow Gryffindor Ginny Weasley, and about five other students from the other houses. The youngest looked to be only a second-year. She moved to the end of the line and waited for the next thing to happen. It didn't take long as the dungeon door slammed open and Crabbe and Goyle marched in, looking awfully pleased with themselves as they led a group of students, Astoria among them. Professor Carrow followed and instructed them to stand against the opposite wall.

"Trouble-makers, the lot of you," he said harshly to Daphne's side of the room. "Detention is where you'll learn your lesson. Harshly." He looked excited as he paired off students, grinning madly as he instructed Crabbe to show Astoria how it was done. Daphne felt sick. Her sister was horrified, that much was clear, looking at the wand in her hand as though it was a poisonous snake. Daphne tried to be encouraging, to reassure her it was alright, but nothing was working.

"Tori," she said soothingly, ignoring everyone else around them. "Tori, it's fine. I'm tough. Nothing is worse than mum's makeover days, you know that."

Astoria shook her head. "I can't," she whispered.

Daphne's heart broke and she hated herself in that moment. Hated that she had done this to her sister, and for what? To make a stupid comment to take some of the attention off of kids who'd gladly throw her down the grand staircase because she wore the silver and green. Tori was worth more.

"Tori, it will be worse if you don't," she tried to reason with her sister.

Crabbe was getting frustrated, his face scrunching up like it did when he tried to do any homework, which meant he was just a few moments away from explosion.

"Just say the word and mean it, Greengrass," he hissed to the Ravenclaw.

Tentatively, she raised her wand and pointed it at Daphne, who tried to encourage her with a nod. But seeing her eyes must have affected her because Astoria lowered her wand to her side and shook her head from side to side fiercely, muttering that she would not, could not, do it.

Angrily, Carrow stormed over from the other side of the dungeon where he had been supervising another student's punishment, Weasley's Daphne thought, Stinging Hex by the look of it. He shoved Astoria out of the way and pointed his wand at Daphne, right between her eyes. Everyone else in the room was watching them. The second-year clearly terrified, the rest nervous. It was funny, she'd have thought they'd be rejoicing at seeing a Slytherin get some of their own back. Recalling the strength she had shown in that classroom earlier, Daphne squared her shoulders and stood tall, back straight and chest out. Cool mask securely in place. She lifted an eyebrow at her professor, a dare, a challenge, it was all she could do, and took a deep breath as the man's lips began to move.

"Crucio," he said cruelly.

Daphne fell to the floor and screamed. She felt like she was on fire. A thousand burning knives were stabbing into every part of her body, over and over and over again, the blades twisting into her skin and ripping it apart. She was shaking, her head was spinning, and all she could focus on was the sound of her own voice, high-pitched, hurt, endless. Everything else around her drowned out. Eventually it stopped and when she was able to open her eyes again she saw Carrow watching her smugly. Crabbe was next to him, his own piggy eyes glittering with excitement and anticipation. She couldn't see Tori but could hear the terrified sobs that she recognised as her sisters.

"Mr. Crabbe will be taking over, Miss Greengrass," Carrow informed her with false pleasantness, before walking away and out of the dungeon jauntily. "Another half hour ought to do it," he called back over his shoulder. Tori sobbed harder.

* * *

Every inch of Daphne's body hurt and ached when she woke up the next morning. She forced her eyes open and was met with the roof of her poster-bed, on which she had painted a few constellations, and wondered how she had got there. Last she remembered was Crabbe hitting her with the Unforgiveable Curse, each one stronger than the last but thankfully nothing like the first. She knew she must have passed out at some point, but she wondered who had got her back into her dorm room. None of the other Slytherin Girls had been anywhere near that dungeon. As it was, they had all left for Breakfast already, and looking at the watch beside her bed she realised that the meal was nearly over. She decided that she would make it there because no doubt they expected her not to.

Daphne knew what they were thinking. They thought that she was broken, that they had beaten her down and now she would hide to lick her wounds. But if nothing else Daphne was a fighter, she always had been, and right now all she wanted to do was prove the arseholes wrong even if it meant limping her way through the castle. Slowly, she readied herself and finally was on her way out of the Common Room and to the Great Hall.

To her great surprise most of the student body still seemed to be there and turned to look at her as she pushed the large doors open and entered. Witches and wizards from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, her own House, even teacher's on the Head Table watched her carefully. She could see Astoria with her group of friends, red-eyed but eating, so she tried to nod to her sister, to let her know she was okay. Tentatively, she sat down next to Theo who was watching her with a smirk and had a plate ready with her favourite foods. He had never doubted her and she loved him for it. Determined, she looked to the teachers and sought out the gaze of the man who had done this to her and ordered it done and stared at him coolly. He was the shit on her shoe, she decided, worth less to her than a flea on her cat. She sneered in the way only a Pureblood Slytherin girl of the Sacred Twenty-Eight could and revelled in the steam that practically came out of his ears. She might not be a saint, she thought proudly, but she sure as hell was no Death Eater.

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it, let me know if you did. I hope to have more written in this universe at a later date. Hermione and Fred's story is done, but that doesn't mean they won't maybe make an appearance.  
> Hannah :)


End file.
